Seibold out

[Mikey Brown]

Put it in the transfers thread but probably deserves one of its own.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union ... y-seibold/

[Tigersman]

Manly sea eagles head coach role is pretty damn good espcially with the NRL money so don't blame him especially since Broncos paid him $1 million AUS to leave early

[FKAS]

Good move for him.

Leaves a bit of a hole for England but defence coaches we've generally been ok at recruiting. It's the other side of the ball that's tended to be the issue.

[Spiffy]

Good move for him.

Leaves a bit of a hole for England but defence coaches we've generally been ok at recruiting. It's the other side of the ball that's tended to be the issue.

No big deal, since the England defence looks nothing special anyway. Maybe a blessing in disguise that will turn up a better coach.

[Scrumhead]

Agreed. Always a bit of a bizarre choice in the first place.

[Which Tyler]

What's Dave Ellis doing these days?
Or do we look to someone like Joe Worsley?

[FKAS]

Mark Jones the former Crusaders defence coach who joined Worcester in the summer is available now. He was previously linked with the job before Siebold got it.

[Oakboy]

A change at this stage just before the RWC is worrying either way. On one hand, should continuity not be essential (and a given) in a well-organised and managed set-up? On the other hand, if a change is not going to matter or even be noticed, what does that say about current coaching standards?

[FKAS]

A change at this stage just before the RWC is worrying either way. On one hand, should continuity not be essential (and a given) in a well-organised and managed set-up? On the other hand, if a change is not going to matter or even be noticed, what does that say about current coaching standards?

To be fair he got offered a very high profile job in his native Australia. If anything it suggests our coaching recruitment was good and the players will have benefited from his time with them. Jones has tended towards a coaching rotation so that the players have a variety of knowledge to draw from.

[Scrumhead]

A change at this stage just before the RWC is worrying either way. On one hand, should continuity not be essential (and a given) in a well-organised and managed set-up? On the other hand, if a change is not going to matter or even be noticed, what does that say about current coaching standards?

Siebold hasn’t really had much time in post to make an impact and nothing we’ve seen so far suggests he was bringing immediate and obvious value.

Perhaps it would be more damaging if he’d been working with the squad for a decent chunk of time, but under his tenure, the defence has been leakier than it was before he joined up with England so IMO, this feels like more of an opportunity than a set back.

Even if the right kind of people have reservations about working with Eddie, I suspect the prospect of going to a RWC will be a decent carrot to dangle.

[Puja]

A change at this stage just before the RWC is worrying either way. On one hand, should continuity not be essential (and a given) in a well-organised and managed set-up? On the other hand, if a change is not going to matter or even be noticed, what does that say about current coaching standards?

Siebold hasn’t really had much time in post to make an impact and nothing we’ve seen so far suggests he was bringing immediate and obvious value.

Perhaps it would be more damaging if he’d been working with the squad for a decent chunk of time, but under his tenure, the defence has been leakier than it was before he joined up with England so IMO, this feels like more of an opportunity than a set back.

Even if the right kind of people have reservations about working with Eddie, I suspect the prospect of going to a RWC will be a decent carrot to dangle.

I mean, John Mitchell might not be employed soon, and airdropping him in close to a RWC worked quite well last time.

Puja

[Peej]

An outrageously bold move for Shaun Edwards?

[Scrumhead]

Stranger things have happened. It would definitely give him a chance to position himself as Eddie’s successor.

[Mikey Brown]

A change at this stage just before the RWC is worrying either way. On one hand, should continuity not be essential (and a given) in a well-organised and managed set-up? On the other hand, if a change is not going to matter or even be noticed, what does that say about current coaching standards?

Siebold hasn’t really had much time in post to make an impact and nothing we’ve seen so far suggests he was bringing immediate and obvious value.

Perhaps it would be more damaging if he’d been working with the squad for a decent chunk of time, but under his tenure, the defence has been leakier than it was before he joined up with England so IMO, this feels like more of an opportunity than a set back.

Even if the right kind of people have reservations about working with Eddie, I suspect the prospect of going to a RWC will be a decent carrot to dangle.

I mean, John Mitchell might not be employed soon, and airdropping him in close to a RWC worked quite well last time.

Puja

This is probably the best, realistic option I’ve heard.

[Timbo]

England have appointed some new ex rugby league guy as defence coach. His record in league seems very mediocre. Hardly a blue chip appointment.

The difference in quality between the coaching team that took us to the last world cup and the one Eddie has assembled now is not spoken about enough. Borthwick, Mitchell and Weismantel are a different level to these no mark, achieved nothing ex league-ies.

[Mellsblue]

The folly of Jones treating Mitchell like crap has come back to bite us in the arse.

[Mikey Brown]

England have appointed some new ex rugby league guy as defence coach. His record in league seems very mediocre.

Hard to imagine anything less shocking, really.

[francoisfou]

An outrageously bold move for Shaun Edwards?

I believe he's contracted with the FFR until 2027, so could be a bit pricey to buy him out of his contract!

[Puja]

I mean, John Mitchell might not be employed soon, and airdropping him in close to a RWC worked quite well last time.

Puja

This is probably the best, realistic option I’ve heard.

Mitchell is now preparing a side against us, as he's joined up as Japan's defensive coach.

Can't imagine he'll be too worried this weekend. "Just tackle the big guys running straight at you," would probably be the message of the week.

Puja

[Oakboy]

I mean, John Mitchell might not be employed soon, and airdropping him in close to a RWC worked quite well last time.

Puja

This is probably the best, realistic option I’ve heard.

Mitchell is now preparing a side against us, as he's joined up as Japan's defensive coach.

Can't imagine he'll be too worried this weekend. "Just tackle the big guys running straight at you," would probably be the message of the week.

Puja

Especially as the biggest, Billy V, keeps coughing up the ball in contact - 4 times in 13 carries in his 55 minutes on Sunday, I believe.

[Banquo]

? another league one
England will go into the Six Nations with their third defence coach in under two years after the RFU confirmed that Brett Hodgson, the former Hull FC head coach, will replace Anthony Seibold after the autumn internationals.

Seibold, who succeeded John Mitchell as England defence coach in September last year, will return to the NRL to take charge of Manly Sea Eagles.

Hodgson, 44, will shadow Seibold for the next three weeks as England prepare to face Japan, New Zealand and South Africa and the intention is that he will run England’s defence into the World Cup.

A former New South Wales State of Origin player, Hodgson made over 200 appearances in the NRL and won the 2009 Man of Steel with Huddersfield Giants. He was Hull FC head coach for two years before standing down in September, having finished eighth and then ninth in Super League.


Eddie Jones, the England head coach, spent two days with Hull in May 2021 in an “advisory capacity” and Hodgson has been a regular visitor into the England camp. He will need to cure England of their habit of conceding points in a rush.


Seibold calls them “lapses in games” and they happen all too frequently. In 13 minutes of the first Test defeat by Australia in the summer, England went from leading 14-9 to trailing 30-14. In the second Test the Wallabies rapidly closed to within five points from 19-0 down before England managed to right the ship.

England did seal a 2-1 series win with an impressive defensive stand in Sydney – but the issue reared its head again last weekend, with Argentina scoring twice in four minutes en route to a 30-29 victory at Twickenham.

Hodgson’s appointment continues the coaching merry-go-round and underlines Jones’s fascination with rugby league expertise, having previously appointed Jason Ryles onto the England coaching staff.

“I’ve known Brett for a few years now. He first visited us in Bristol in 2018 and we spoke about coaching then. I’ve been to Hull on a few occasions. He had two tough years coaching Hull which is a tough assignment.

“He’s learned a lot, understands the game really well and he is a student of coaching. He’s going to take on the good work that Seibs has done and for us it’s an opportunity to get even better in defence.”

Jones insisted the unsettled nature of England’s coaching staff does not have a negative impact on the team, although some players have privately expressed frustration at the lack of consistency.


“I don’t think it’s either a strength or a weakness. You want people who are going to evolve to be good coaches. I’m pleased when I see Steve Borthwick doing all at Leicester. Alex Sanderson at Sale, Neal Hatley at Bath, all evolve to be their own coaches.

“Seibs had had a difficult time as a head coach, had been sacked, he’s helped us a lot but I think we’ve also played some role in his rehabilitation to be a head coach in the future.


“And I’m pleased to do that, really pleased to do that. I see that as part of my role, to produce good coaches. One of the things I said to England was I wanted to produce a number of coaches who could potentially be the next head coaches, and that’s part of what’s going to happen in the future after me.”

Jones conceded that England’s focus on using these November Tests as stepping stones towards the World Cup had cost them against Argentina, where the sides played with a lack of energy, urgency and intensity.

“I am very disappointed in the last game. We weren’t good enough, that’s totally my responsibility, I didn’t coach well enough,” he said.

“I think whenever your team doesn’t play to the potential that you want there’s always something in the message you’re giving the team that’s not quite clear.

“When I reflect on the game, we’ve been looking at a number of long-term strategies we’re trying to employ to get ourselves ready for the World Cup, and maybe our focus wasn’t tight enough on the Argentinian game.

“We lacked a bit of energy, particularly in our attack, and maybe we were just over-thinking it a bit. So that’s entirely my fault.”

But it will not lead to a change of approach. “There’s a cluster of teams at the top of World Rugby, we want to break that cluster, and to do that we have to have a number of ways to play the game,” he said. “This next 11 months is to get enough equipment in our armoury so that we can play any way.”

[Puja]

? another league one
England will go into the Six Nations with their third defence coach in under two years after the RFU confirmed that Brett Hodgson, the former Hull FC head coach, will replace Anthony Seibold after the autumn internationals.

Seibold, who succeeded John Mitchell as England defence coach in September last year, will return to the NRL to take charge of Manly Sea Eagles.

Hodgson, 44, will shadow Seibold for the next three weeks as England prepare to face Japan, New Zealand and South Africa and the intention is that he will run England’s defence into the World Cup.

A former New South Wales State of Origin player, Hodgson made over 200 appearances in the NRL and won the 2009 Man of Steel with Huddersfield Giants. He was Hull FC head coach for two years before standing down in September, having finished eighth and then ninth in Super League.

In fairness, that's a 1:1 ratio with prime ministers and chancellors, and only a 3:2 ratio on monarchs.

Puja

[Banquo]

good transfer young mod

[p/d]

Agreed. Always a bit of a bizarre choice in the first place.

This

[Mikey Brown]

Agreed. Always a bit of a bizarre choice in the first place.

This

But is it a good move when we're just swapping one random Aussie league guy for another? I mean maybe he'll be a great improvement, but it seems telling that this is what Jones is having to work with.